 Wolfe in 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 95 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1990-02-24)February 24, 1990 (age 35) Lisbon, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 285 lb (129 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Beaver Local (Lisbon) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Cincinnati (2008–2011) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2012: 2nd round, 36th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Derek Wolfe (born February 24, 1990) is an American former professionalfootball player who was adefensive end in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theCincinnati Bearcats and was selected by theDenver Broncos in the second round of the2012 NFL draft, playing his first eight years with them before signing with theBaltimore Ravens in 2020. Wolfe announced his retirement on July 28, 2022.[1]
Wolfe is from the rural town ofNegley, Ohio, near the state line with Pennsylvania.[2] He attendedBeaver Local High School inEast Liverpool, Ohio.[3]
Considered only a two-star recruit byRivals.com,[4] Wolfe was a standout at Beaver Local High School and is the only player in the school's history ever to be drafted by the NFL.
Wolfe played four years (2008–2011) at theUniversity of Cincinnati. He accumulated 162 total tackles, 37 tackles for loss, and 19 sacks during his tenure with theBearcats.
Wolfe was named Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.[5]
Wolfe was the first Beaver Local High School graduate to get drafted in the school's history, and the firstMahoning Valley native selected in the2012 NFL draft.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Derek Wolfe’s NFL Combine Workout |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft5+1⁄8 in (1.96 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | 33+1⁄4 in (0.84 m) | 10+3⁄4 in (0.27 m) | 5.01 s | 1.69 s | 2.85 s | 4.44 s | 7.26 s | 33.5 in (0.85 m) | 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) | 33 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[6][7] | ||||||||||||
TheDenver Broncos selected Wolfe in the second round (36th overall) of the2012 NFL draft. Wolfe was the fourth defensive tackle drafted in 2012.[8]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Broncos draft Derek Wolfe 36th overall |
On May 21, 2012, the Denver Broncos signed Wolfe to a four-year, $5.20 million contract that includes $3.09 million guaranteed and asigning bonus of $2.22 million.[9][10]
In his first NFL game in the regular season against thePittsburgh Steelers, Wolfe came out with 3 tackles and a sack for a loss of 9 yards.
Wolfe finished his rookie season with 40 tackles, six sacks, and two passes defended. His six sacks were third most on the team, behindVon Miller andElvis Dumervil.
Wolfe had a tough sophomore season. In a preseason game against theSeattle Seahawks, Wolfe suffered a spinal cord injury and was carted off the field. That, along with two bouts of food poisoning, led to him losing 20 pounds, and he was therefore not as productive on the field. On November 29, Wolfe suffered a seizure on the bus ride toDenver International Airport for theirChiefs matchup inKansas City and after the season, it was reported that the seizure was related to the spinal cord injury. Despite hopes that he might return to the field, he was eventually placed on Injured Reserve. Without Wolfe, the Broncos reachedSuper Bowl XLVIII where they lost to theSeattle Seahawks.
The 2015 season was the best of Wolfe's career. After serving a four-game suspension for aPED violation,[11] Wolfe returned to establish himself as one of the best-run stuffers in the game, which eventually led to him being named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after the Broncos defense completely neutralized the undefeatedGreen Bay Packers offense in Week 8.
On January 15, 2016, Wolfe signed a four-year extension with the Broncos worth $36.7 million.[12]
On February 7, 2016, Wolfe was part of the Broncos team that wonSuper Bowl 50. In the game, the Broncos defeated theCarolina Panthers by a score of 24–10.[13] He had five tackles and 0.5 sacks in the Super Bowl.[14]
In 2016, Wolfe posted a career-high in tackles with 51, and in passes defended with 4.
The Broncos finished the 2016 season with a 9–7 record and missed the playoffs for the first time in Wolfe's career.[15]
On December 5, 2017, Wolfe was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury.[16]
On December 2, 2019, Wolfe was placed on injured reserve after suffering a dislocated elbow in Week 13.[17]
On March 31, 2020, Wolfe signed a one-year, $3 million deal with theBaltimore Ravens.[18][19]
In Week 15 against theJacksonville Jaguars, Wolfe recorded his first sack as a Raven onGardner Minshew and recovered a fumble lost by Minshew during the 40–14 win.[20]
Wolfe agreed to a three-year, $12 million contract extension with the Ravens on March 17, 2021.[21]
On October 2, 2021, Wolfe suffered a hip injury during practice and was placed oninjured reserve.On October 26, 2021, Wolfe was designated to return to practice frominjured reserve.[22] However, on November 15, 2021,head coachJohn Harbaugh said that Wolfe was expected to be out for the rest of the season.[23]
On June 14, 2022, Wolfe and the Ravens came to terms on an injury settlement leading to his release from the team.[24]
On July 29, 2022, Wolfe announced his retirement fromprofessional football, signing a one-day contract with theDenver Broncos to retire as a member of the team.[25]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Team won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comb | Total | Ast | Sck | SFTY | PDef | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | ||||||||
| 2012 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 40 | 26 | 14 | 6.0 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2013 | DEN | 11 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 4.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2014 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 1.5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2015 | DEN | 12 | 12 | 49 | 35 | 14 | 5.5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2016 | DEN | 14 | 14 | 51 | 38 | 13 | 5.5 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2017 | DEN | 11 | 11 | 31 | 18 | 13 | 2.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2018 | DEN | 16 | 16 | 43 | 31 | 12 | 1.5 | — | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | — | — | ||||
| 2019 | DEN | 12 | 12 | 34 | 23 | 11 | 7.0 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | ||||
| 2020 | BAL | 14 | 8 | 51 | 19 | 32 | 1.0 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2021 | BAL | 0 | 0 | DNP | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 110 | 104 | 350 | 225 | 125 | 34.0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |||||
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comb | Total | Ast | Sck | SFTY | PDef | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | ||||
| 2012 | DEN | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | DEN | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | DEN | 3 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | BAL | 2 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Total | 7 | 7 | 28 | 19 | 9 | 3.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
During the discussion concerningkneeling during the national anthem, Wolfe sent comments toESPN stating the following: this is the "greatest country in the world and if you don't think we are the greatest country in the world and you reside here, then why do you stay?"[26]
On October 3, 2022, Wolfe joined104.3 The Fan in Denver as a sports-talk radio host on the station's marquee show, "The Drive."[27]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)